Planting, growing and caring for sea buckthorn in the open field

Gardeners are interested in planting and caring for sea buckthorn in the open field. To obtain a stable harvest, you first need to properly plant the plant. Quality berries are born only on healthy shrubs. Having planted the game, the summer resident is unlikely to wait for large and sweet fruits. And the taste and juiciness of berries depend on the subsequent care.

How to choose healthy seedlings

When buying a seedling with an open root system, you should pay attention to the condition of the roots. They should be yellow-brown in color. Moreover, one (central) root is well developed. It is surrounded by formed fibrous roots.

When buying a seedling with a closed root system, turn the container over. If the root tips are light in color and have sprouted through water drainage holes, the plant will take root easily.

Be sure to inspect the ground part of the sea buckthorn. The shoots should be well developed, the tops should be intact.

How to distinguish male from female sea buckthorn

The optimal time for the procedure is the dormant period of the plant. At this time, the bushes look different. On women, the kidneys are small, tightly pressed against the stem. They are covered by only 2 scales. Male plants have large, rounded buds spaced from stems and branches. They are covered by up to 7 scales.

On male bushes, the leaves are flat, while female plants have a concave profile. In spring, female sea buckthorn leaves are bright green, and male ones have a bluish bloom. And the female bush blooms with small yellow flowers, the male flowers are green-silver.

Planting seedlings

Before planting sea buckthorn, preparatory measures should be taken. The speed of adaptation of the bush depends on their success.

Required soil

What kind of soil sea buckthorn loves, gardeners are interested in. Under natural conditions, the plant bears fruit along the banks of rivers and streams, prefers neutral or slightly alkaline soils with an admixture of pebbles or gravel. The same soil must be created at the location of the shrub.

Optimal place for sea buckthorn

Before planting a plant, you should remember how it grows outdoors in natural conditions:

1. The shrub lives along the banks of reservoirs, chooses places perfectly lit by the sun. And on the site, you should provide her with the sunniest and warmest place.
2. In the area where the sea buckthorn is supposed to be planted, the groundwater should not lie too close: the roots of the plant do not tolerate getting wet. But the root system of a plant rarely penetrates into a depth of more than 40-50 cm. Therefore, the presence of groundwater at a distance of 60 cm or more from the surface is allowed.
3. The shrub does not tolerate cold winter winds. It should be placed in the country house in a draft-protected place: on the southern sides of the buildings.
4. The plant has a spreading root system, which is shallow (40-50 cm). Therefore, the shrubs or flowers planted nearby are perceived as oppressors.
5. Sea buckthorn is a wind-pollinated crop. The male plant is placed on the windward side, and the female plant on the leeward side.

Some gardeners plant shrubs around the perimeter of the site, behind buildings.

Disembarkation dates

It is recommended to plant sea buckthorn in early spring (as soon as the soil warms up) and in autumn (3 weeks before the onset of frost). During planting in spring, the bushes are shaded for 2-3 weeks; in the fall, all leaves are removed for better survival.

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Planting patterns and depth

In the garden for 1 male plant, it is recommended to plant 5-8 female bushes. Sea buckthorn should not be buried: from the root collar to the ground level should be 5-7 cm. When placing, the distance between the bushes should be at least 3 m. This is required in order to provide sufficient area for plant nutrition.

What can be planted next to sea buckthorn

The shrub does not tolerate neighbors: its root system is shallow, shallow. And the crown of the bush is quite spreading, it shades everything around. But the trunk circles can be closed. A regularly trimmed, neat lawn under the sea buckthorn looks beautiful.

Step-by-step landing instructions

For quick survival, young sea buckthorn bushes must be properly planted. How to proceed:

1. Prepare the landing pit in advance. Dig a pit 0.4 x 0.4 x 0.4 m in size. Mix the excavated soil with mature compost or humus. After 2-3 days, add potassium and phosphorus and put back into the pit. Cover with plywood on top (to prevent erosion by precipitation).
2. Dig a planting hole. Drive a peg into it for tying the plant.
3. Then gently straighten the roots, place the sea buckthorn in the hole, cover with soil and tamp. Pay attention to the position of the root collar: it should be 5-7 cm above the ground.
4. Water the planted bush abundantly and mulch the trunk circle.

When planting in spring, shade the planting for 3-4 days.

Young and mature tree care

Growing sea buckthorn is not difficult. The plant is quite unpretentious. From the necessary measures - timely pruning. It is required to get large berries. At home, for varietal sea buckthorn, feeding and watering is recommended during prolonged drought.

Top dressing

You can grow buckthorn buckthorn without additional fertilizing. But fertilization increases yields.

How to fertilize sea buckthorn

It is recommended to fertilize sea buckthorn with a complete mineral fertilizer: nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Nitrogen is contained in humus or compost (always mature). Phosphorus and potassium plants are obtained from bone meal or sifted furnace ash.

Gardeners who do not want to mess with composting plant residues or do not have an oven can buy ready-made fertilizers and apply them according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Fertilization after planting

Correctly planted young sea buckthorn is provided with nutrition for the next 3 years. It does not require additional feeding.The bush should be regularly fed from the 4th year of life in the garden. In the spring, nitrogen is required, and in the fall - potassium-phosphorus fertilizers. It is recommended (to save time) to use full mineral fertilizers.

Timing and technology of seasonal feeding

In the spring, it is required to add nitrogen at the rate of 1 bucket of humus for 1 adult bush, distributing it over the entire trunk circle. At the beginning of summer, it is recommended to feed the plants with potassium-phosphorus fertilizer according to the instructions.

In October-November, it is recommended to apply a complex autumn fertilizer: it will help the bush to easily overwinter.

Regularity of watering

The plant does not need to be watered frequently. It provides itself with moisture on its own. But young bushes planted in spring require regular watering in summer. In this case, you should follow the rules: moisten the near-stem circle only after complete drying.

Soil mulching

Many gardeners prefer to grow sea buckthorn in sodded areas. In this case, ordinary lawn grass plays the role of mulch. But young plants require mulching of the trunk circle. For mulch, dried mowed grass, rotted sawdust, neutral peat are suitable.

If the grower wishes to use fresh sawdust or shavings, it is recommended that they be properly watered with urea solution. This will prevent valuable nitrogen from flowing out of the soil.

When and how to transplant an adult sea buckthorn bush

Adult bushes do not tolerate transplanting well. The gardener will spend energy digging up a plant that has an extensive root system. But the roots will still be damaged. Mature bushes planted in a new place most often die. An adult bush is dug up only if the gardener wishes to propagate the plant by division. In this case, a healthy part with a developed root system is cut off. A little bit is planted in a new place.

There is an easier way to save your favorite shrub: plant rooted cuttings from an old plant.

Cutting scheme and technology

Sea buckthorn begins to form immediately after rooting. The gardener must decide how he will grow it: with a stem or a shrub.

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In the first case, in the first year, the direct central branch is selected, and all others are deleted. The next year, all branches are cut at a height of 60 cm. Then (in the third year) 2-3 strong branches are shortened, the rest are removed. In the 4th year, the pruning of the previous year is repeated.

When growing sea buckthorn as a shrub, 3-4 strong branches are chosen, the rest are cut out. Subsequently, 6-7 branches are left every year, the old ones are cut out.Sanitary pruning is recommended as needed, but at least 2 times a year.

Preparing culture for winter

The shrub does not require special care, but for the successful wintering of a young plant, you can insulate the trunk circle with dry leaves or peat. Timely autumn feeding will increase the plant's winter hardiness.

Features of tree fruiting

The plant got its name from the bright berries that densely cover (stick around) thorny shoots. The plant keeps the harvest on the branches until the onset of cold weather. But the marketability of fruits deteriorates when there is a delay in collection.

Pollinators

Sea buckthorn is a wind-pollinated plant. During flowering, pollen from male flowers is carried by the wind to the pistils of female ones. In the absence of wind during flowering, it is recommended to carry out pollination on your own: a branch cut from a male plant must be held over the female sea buckthorn.

When sea buckthorn begins to bloom and bear fruit

Sea buckthorn is a fast-growing plant. The first fruits on wild plants will be born in the 2nd year of the life of the shrub in the garden. And in what year the varietal shrub will begin to bear fruit, the breeders indicate in the description of the plant.

Ripening and harvesting terms

The berries are harvested when they reach the color and size characteristic of the variety.This usually occurs between late July and late September. A ripe berry is juicy, it has a dense skin. When separated from the branches, the fruits retain their integrity. Berries store the maximum amount of sugars and vitamins.

The shrub is resistant to fruit shedding. Orange berries can decorate twigs before frost. But their taste deteriorates: the amount of sugars decreases, the berries begin to sour. The skin becomes thinner, the fruits burst.High-quality harvesting is not obtained from overripe fruits. Therefore, harvesting is required in a timely manner.

Nuances of agricultural technology in various regions of Russia

The shrub grows well and bears fruit in various regions of Russia. But when planting modern varieties, it is recommended to choose those that are bred for a specific region. Then the gardener will always get a bountiful harvest.

Moscow suburbs

Gardeners began to massively grow sea buckthorn in the Moscow region in the 70s of the last century. There was no talk of varieties, the usual buckthorn grew everywhere. The climate and soils of the region are suitable for the cultivation of sea buckthorn. Now breeders have created more than 60 varieties that are included in the State Register and recommended for cultivation in the region.

Urals and Siberia

In the Urals and Siberia, there are thickets of wild sea buckthorn, so local gardeners prefer to pick wild berries rather than planting plants on the site. But breeders have created new varieties, their characteristics are better than those of wild ones. Gardeners place such shrubs in the country. When planting several cultivated seedlings, girls, it is permissible to have a wild boy for pollination.

When planting high-quality sea buckthorn, you should choose the species zoned for Siberia or the Urals. Such a shrub will easily endure winters with low temperatures and strong winds. The cultivated sea buckthorn growing in the Urals and Siberia should be looked after according to the usual rules.

Middle lane

In the middle lane, the same varieties of sea buckthorn should be planted as in the Moscow region. The plant bears excellent fruit to the east and west of the Moscow region. But varieties created for regions with a warm climate freeze in the middle lane in winter. They need to be carefully covered in the area of ​​the trunk circles.